Sheep as a large animal model for hearing research: comparison to common laboratory animals and humans
Abstract Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), caused by pathology in the cochlea, is the most common type of hearing loss in humans. It is generally irreversible with very few effective pharmacological treatments available to prevent the degenerative changes or minimise the impact. Part of this has be...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Laboratory Animal Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s42826-023-00182-3 |
| _version_ | 1797416308258635776 |
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| author | Po-Yi Lue Mark H. Oliver Michel Neeff Peter R. Thorne Haruna Suzuki-Kerr |
| author_facet | Po-Yi Lue Mark H. Oliver Michel Neeff Peter R. Thorne Haruna Suzuki-Kerr |
| author_sort | Po-Yi Lue |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), caused by pathology in the cochlea, is the most common type of hearing loss in humans. It is generally irreversible with very few effective pharmacological treatments available to prevent the degenerative changes or minimise the impact. Part of this has been attributed to difficulty of translating “proof-of-concept” for novel treatments established in small animal models to human therapies. There is an increasing interest in the use of sheep as a large animal model. In this article, we review the small and large animal models used in pre-clinical hearing research such as mice, rats, chinchilla, guinea pig, rabbit, cat, monkey, dog, pig, and sheep to humans, and compare the physiology, inner ear anatomy, and some of their use as model systems for SNHL, including cochlear implantation surgeries. Sheep have similar cochlear anatomy, auditory threshold, neonatal auditory system development, adult and infant body size, and number of birth as humans. Based on these comparisons, we suggest that sheep are well-suited as a potential translational animal model that bridges the gap between rodent model research to the clinical use in humans. This is especially in areas looking at changes across the life-course or in specific areas of experimental investigation such as cochlear implantation and other surgical procedures, biomedical device development and age-related sensorineural hearing loss research. Combined use of small animals for research that require higher throughput and genetic modification and large animals for medical translation could greatly accelerate the overall translation of basic research in the field of auditory neuroscience from bench to clinic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:01:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a51783e49d1242cb86209ed42081dc41 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2233-7660 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:01:33Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Laboratory Animal Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-a51783e49d1242cb86209ed42081dc412023-12-03T12:08:48ZengBMCLaboratory Animal Research2233-76602023-11-0139111910.1186/s42826-023-00182-3Sheep as a large animal model for hearing research: comparison to common laboratory animals and humansPo-Yi Lue0Mark H. Oliver1Michel Neeff2Peter R. Thorne3Haruna Suzuki-Kerr4Department of Physiology, The University of AucklandLiggins Institute, The University of AucklandDepartment of Physiology, The University of AucklandDepartment of Physiology, The University of AucklandDepartment of Physiology, The University of AucklandAbstract Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), caused by pathology in the cochlea, is the most common type of hearing loss in humans. It is generally irreversible with very few effective pharmacological treatments available to prevent the degenerative changes or minimise the impact. Part of this has been attributed to difficulty of translating “proof-of-concept” for novel treatments established in small animal models to human therapies. There is an increasing interest in the use of sheep as a large animal model. In this article, we review the small and large animal models used in pre-clinical hearing research such as mice, rats, chinchilla, guinea pig, rabbit, cat, monkey, dog, pig, and sheep to humans, and compare the physiology, inner ear anatomy, and some of their use as model systems for SNHL, including cochlear implantation surgeries. Sheep have similar cochlear anatomy, auditory threshold, neonatal auditory system development, adult and infant body size, and number of birth as humans. Based on these comparisons, we suggest that sheep are well-suited as a potential translational animal model that bridges the gap between rodent model research to the clinical use in humans. This is especially in areas looking at changes across the life-course or in specific areas of experimental investigation such as cochlear implantation and other surgical procedures, biomedical device development and age-related sensorineural hearing loss research. Combined use of small animals for research that require higher throughput and genetic modification and large animals for medical translation could greatly accelerate the overall translation of basic research in the field of auditory neuroscience from bench to clinic.https://doi.org/10.1186/s42826-023-00182-3HearingSensorineural hearing lossCochleaInner earAnimal modelCochlear implant |
| spellingShingle | Po-Yi Lue Mark H. Oliver Michel Neeff Peter R. Thorne Haruna Suzuki-Kerr Sheep as a large animal model for hearing research: comparison to common laboratory animals and humans Laboratory Animal Research Hearing Sensorineural hearing loss Cochlea Inner ear Animal model Cochlear implant |
| title | Sheep as a large animal model for hearing research: comparison to common laboratory animals and humans |
| title_full | Sheep as a large animal model for hearing research: comparison to common laboratory animals and humans |
| title_fullStr | Sheep as a large animal model for hearing research: comparison to common laboratory animals and humans |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sheep as a large animal model for hearing research: comparison to common laboratory animals and humans |
| title_short | Sheep as a large animal model for hearing research: comparison to common laboratory animals and humans |
| title_sort | sheep as a large animal model for hearing research comparison to common laboratory animals and humans |
| topic | Hearing Sensorineural hearing loss Cochlea Inner ear Animal model Cochlear implant |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s42826-023-00182-3 |
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